Kimberly Mutcherson

How these state-level abortion laws could have widespread impact on people across the country

By Charlotte West
Nov. 13, 2018

The 2018 midterm elections paved the way for a slew of state-level legislation related to abortion on both sides of the issue. Alabamian and West Virginian voters approved anti-abortion rights amendments to their state constitutions, while Oregonians voted down a similar ballot initiative. With Democrats now in control of the governor’s mansion and both legislative chambers, New York is poised to become the first state to enact legislation that would enshrine Roe v. Wade abortion protections since Brett Kavanaugh was appointed to the Supreme Court.

States across the country are gearing up in case the 1973 landmark decision guaranteeing the constitutional right to an abortion is overturned. If that were to happen, access to abortion would become even more uneven than it already is with the existing patchwork of state legislation.

10 legal experts on the future of Roe v. Wade after Kennedy
His decision to retire could lead to more “incremental” attacks against the landmark decision.
By Li Zhouli
Jul 2, 2018

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement has spurred a raft of questions about how key legal precedents could shift under the tenure of a likely more conservative replacement — and chief among these is the fate of Roe v. Wade.

The landmark 1973 case that guaranteed women’s legal right to an abortion has been on conservatives’ target list for some time, and although Kennedy was appointed by a Republican president, he frequently sided with the liberal wing of the court and acted as a swing vote on cases preserving abortion rights.